Illini

I would like to clear up any controversy regarding the "Three-In-One" collection of songs that are played at the University of Illinois athletic events. The collection is not about American Indians. It is about loyalty and pride in the university as well as respect for those who came before us. It connects all of the generations of alumni and the students with the university. The Illini announcer always tells us that it has been stirring the hearts of Illini fans since the 1920s.

Talk about getting better with age. At 35, Gia Lewis-Smallwood has improved her personal best in the discus for the second straight year. In doing it Friday at the Diamond League meet in Glasgow, Scotland, the former University of Illinois thrower also upset reigning Olympic and world champion Sandra Perkovic of Croatia, who had been unbeaten in six meets this season and had won 25 of her last 27. Lewis-Smallwood's fourth of six throws was...

OFFENSE — NATHAN SCHEELHAASE: Scheelhaase returns as the most recognizable player on the Illini offense after throwing for 3,935 yards and rushing for 1,492 more in two years as starting quarterback. Beyond him, there will be a lot of unheralded names in the mix. The improvement of the offensive line will be a necessity for Scheelhaase's advancement. DEFENSE — MICHAEL BUCHANAN: "I challenge them to be No. 1," coach Tim Beckman said matter-of-factly of his defense. The unit that finished seventh in the nation...

The Illinois men's basketball will play five home games away from the State Farm Center during the 2015-16 season as the renovated arena won't be able to open its doors until Dec. 1, 2015, a school spokesman confirmed Monday. One exhibition game and four nonconference games will be played away from the home at the beginning of that season. The women's team also will be temporarily moved out of the State Farm Center. Both teams are searching for alternate venues. The...

With a young roster, Illinois coach Bruce Weber figured he had two options about how to view the upcoming season. "A lot of worries (about what's going to happen)," he said, "or excitement. " Weber chose to temper anxiety for now and consider the possibilities with an Illini team that features seven newcomers. "We have good athletes coming in, some kids that are very competitive, " he said Thursday at Big Ten media day. "They've made practice competitive. ... A little different...

Illinois received an oral commitment from offensive lineman Zeke Martin, according to 247Sports.com. Martin, from Medina, Ohio, is listed as a two-star recruit by Rivals.com. He is the seventh recruit added to Illinois' incoming Class of 2015 and the third offensive lineman in that group. A 6-foot-4, 275-pound tackle, Martin fielded offers from six Mid-American Conference teams. sryan@tribune.com Twitter @sryantribune

On the offensive: Illinois gained just 128 yards against the nation's top-ranked defense, only 18 in the second half. The Illini had 25 yards on the ground and tailback Donovonn Young did not have a carry. Getting defensive: After a competitive first half, Michigan State had its way with the Illini defense in the second half. Overall, Jeremy Langford had a stout 104 yards on 22 carries with Nick Hill contributing 70 yards on 13 carries. The number: 10. Receivers who caught a pass for...

Matt Domer was expected to provide depth at Illinois' running back position. Instead, the Illini are left with few backup options. Domer was denied admission to the university, a school spokesman confirmed on Tuesday. Domer, a Mount Carmel graduate from Chicago, chose Illinois over offers from Indiana, Kansas and Syracuse and was expected to play this fall as a freshman. Rivals.com reported that Domer would attend Champaign community college Parkland College. The Illini...

Illinois will participate in the Las Vegas Invitation on Nov. 27-28 against Indiana State. The championship game will be against either Baylor or Memphis, who play in the other semifinal game at Orleans Arena. Each team will play four games in the tournament with the first two at on-campus sites and the final two rounds in Las Vegas. Illinois returns all five starters from last season's team, which won 20 games and advanced to the second round of the NIT tournament. Indiana State...

Aaron Cosby had to travel half way around the world to find his first competitive basketball game in more than a year. Cosby, an Illinois transfer who sat out last season, recently returned to Champaign after a 16-day trip to China. There, he played nine games against professional teams from China and Lithuania with Sports Reach, a religious organization in his native Kentucky. “It was good to get back out there on the court and kind of shake the rust off,”...

Illinois' golf program has been rewarded with a new facility. After a successful seven-year run in the NCAA tournament, the golf team has a new place to practice with the creation of the Lauritsen/Wohlers Outdoor Practice Facility, the school announced Wednesday. Construction for the 24-acre, $2 million facility is expected to be completed in August. An array of grass types with target fairways, target greens of different sizes and distances, fairway bunkers and greenside...

Illinois will play Villanova in the Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 9 at Madison Square Garden. The Illini replace Maryland, which had a scheduling conflict and will now play in the non-conference showcase in 2016. The game precedes an anticipated showdown between Louisville and Indiana. Illinois has not played against Villanova since the 1988 NCAA tournament and has only faced the Wildcats six times total. The Illini faced Providence in the 2003 Jimmy V Classic, losing 70-51. They return...

Instead of sitting out two consecutive seasons, Darius Paul will play at a Texas community college next season after being suspended from the Illinois basketball team. Paul was suspended for the upcoming year at Illinois after an arrest, which coach John Groce described as one of "multiple transgressions" by Paul. Paul sat out last season after transferring from Western Michigan as a Mid-American Conference freshman of the year. He will be eligible to play immediately at Lamar...

Darius Paul, who was suspended for a year from the Illinois basketball team Tuesday in the wake of the school's investigation into his April 22 arrest, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Champaign County Circuit Court to underage drinking. “I want to apologize,” he said in a statement released by his attorney. “I regret my conduct.” Paul, 20, was sentenced to a year of court supervision and a fine of $325, and was ordered to have an alcohol and substance abuse...